Spring suspension



May 24, 1932. G. J. FLETCHER 1,860,280

SPRING SUSPENSION I Filed June,29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 I i 2 I :57 if C7eozyedf7csr g 14 0 ATTORNEY May 24, 1932. G. J. FLETCHER SPRING SUSPENSION Filed June 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Mai 24, 1 932 GEORGE .T. FLETCHER; on dnmAed-ximixioxs sPRING susrmiirs xon This invention relatesjflto cease n v l ini provenients in spring suspensions and hasfon-itspi lncipal omect the provlslon of an improved construction of this character '5 which will be highlyfflicient. in use and econominal in manufacture. j r v Among thes'everal' objects of this invention isthe provisionfor suspending a spring from the chassis of a Vehicle in such a'manner as to If) decrease the Vibiatoty impulses t anslnitted to the chassis andlbotl y of th'e vehicle While driving over'roiigh grOiiHdS an whereby to lessen 'thefposs'ibility' of breakage of the Spring p r e- 1 Q q a A still further object of the invention is the novel provision forconneeting the end portions of a spring construction' to the up-1' porting brackets whereby thespring nay have free re-fleii movement andjfreexhovef ment when assuming, its" normal posltion,

thereby lessening' the shoe]: which otherwise" would be transmitted to the chassis andlhody of avehicle.

, A still further of "invention the novel provision of a" spring suspension device which maybe easily appliddnpbsi:

tion andfdisaissembled When'-reqi1ired.; A still furthei' object of the invention is;

. thenove'l means for lubricating the spi ing suspension which lubrication is, employed u'ponthe principle of capillaryattraction. Other objects Willappearhereinafter, V

The invention consists intlieno'vel cofilb'i- T nation and a after describeiand claimed, a 7,: if The invention Willfhest be understood by reference to the accompanyipg drawings,

wherein a preferred foii'fi of construe-moms shown, and in/wh'ich:

, Fig. .1 s a fragmentary side eleiiat i'onail" View-ofacha'ssis showing'myIilnpifoved siis H V w I h neend p i lt read i t oug the pensi on means associated."theIfeWith;." M

Fig. 2 is a face elevation'al viewoftheoutei" o spring suspensionmeans; I Fig. 3is:a*to'p" plan viey'v of thesame; I

Fig 4 is ase'c'tional detail! View of the same takeii substantially on" the line, 1 of Figsegment of parts to he he emthe o va bf t. howi n Figure 1955, sees it. taint w s Fig/(is a side-View ofthesanie taken slibs m yqnl n Zi-TfFisui Fig. 8 is a sectio iahdetail'yiewoft e taken substantially on line 8+8 of Figure 7;; and

2; 9 a dti m plil wbiitfifil p gr suspension meansshiown in -figures.

Referrihgfimore particularly to' of the drawings, a chassis isiiidioated-at 1,0,

p i ,s f i m lim i ngi endgp r tioiis connected to the chassis 7 me ns of ti'vely. I i y espects, thef's'p ll i i s il s Be d 13 511 3. 9 1, i qdiisfirn 011. but for convenience each spring siisgenslon means will be described separately'and iii i y- L 'n -F i ur satt ji' incllis ivfe; I haveilhis;v i th spr ng uspens on mean ,yai1d t i lizi o n iit sta fi g sfispen iq i ans: i f 'li des 'b iaQiwa m: givhi h'i ads to fit sniiglyagain s'tthe'endlfi of the'eh 10 and lee-secured thereto ineanslpf vts '16 which are adapted; toibe inPifiij on r gop i 17; me i the a i arm 1 ;id 1 s. an," nt g al-Part ft bqdyt a iv ediby.m hs o lwpar has: 19 into pp r pt c ezo; and a oiismg' nd thi oi ladfi it intQth Lr pta e Wa li Of a Plu 2 rea ed sa d 91 6 ing 58 P9 20? ifiT 'u el fk-I 4 Fq -me iip nj 1 i .the partition 19 is an ipstan'din pgojectioi andis adaptedto uppbrwwvikatha 11g;

jlsibyuiiieansfofl '7 which registered an [opening 41] formediin the ball'32. Positionedin this 51 describe the inner end spring suspension i means'ln'itspreferred form'of construct on;-

I to be closed by "a bearing plug whichplug provides a seat31 for a ball 32."

The partition 19 provides a recess 33 for Q the purpose of receiving the bearing plate34 e Ywhichis provided with a bearing surface 35 snugly fitting the opposite side of the ball element 32.

The-bore 25has itsflower end portion ter '7 minatiiig into an enlarged opening 36 which registers with'an opening 37 f ormediin the plate 34 for the purposeof admitting oil to an oil recess '38 formed in the ball 32" whereby the oil may find its way around the'ball- 32 into and upon the bearing seat 31 to efiia ciently provide lubrication forthe'ball during itsf movement by (fluctuationof this "iispring. 11

The spring end 38' isiprojected through a sl0t '39 formed in thegball 32 and this'end of thdspring is; provided with an' opening 1 opening 41. and projectedthrough the opening in" the spring" end 38 registered therewith is apin 42which secures this. end o f the spring to the balll The spring en res projects thifqu h mien;

larged1openingj4l3'in a direction for connec tion With the 1132 and in order" to prevent lecting in the housing this opening is closed bynieansof a'fibrous plate' lslidablymount-w ed in aIr-ecess 4L5 formed inithe Wall 4:65 of @the'housin V Formed as ,anintegral part of the body18 isabifurcated supporting bracket 47 to which v "the. endssof the connecting brackets i'or 'arms 481015 a bumper oro the like b e/[attached by means 35f nut bearing bolts. 49 PprOlQOted: through the openings 5O iorrned' in this ,of rivets 52Iprojected through openings 53 formedlintheears 51; T I

' V'These earsare forr'ndas an integral part of a body 54 providingahousing 55 open at its bottom portion This open bottom of the e seured'tothe vbody by means of nut bearing bolts'f57.. The plate 56 provides a-central it opening1r 58:andthreaded into this opening formed in the top .wall 62'; of the body to r0- tatablyf suppoft a ball'63'. A lubricant is fed] tofthe ball 63 by means; or a 'wicl: 64lhaving one end portion 65 confined in a recess 66 e s zis h P9 re ive and e tend d i t dust and othei' foreign 'elenients from: colin the wall? 8 of-the body ,54.-

v 5 "chassis as b stshgw Figure 1 means,

is. ia bearing cup 59 which co-operates with ,r,-'al' jbearing' plate 60 confinedin a recess 61.

an 'openin'g 67 which registerswith an'oil I bore 68 formed inthe ball63. The oppositeend portion of this wickis confined in a reser-f voir 69 formed in the'body 5,4 at the side thereof. The lubricant is admittedto this The ball 63-ihas an opening extending i tlierethrough and projected through; this 'open1ng72 so as to be slidable therein. 1s an end portion 7310f spring llj This end portion '73 ofvspring'll passes through an 'en- 'lar'ged opening 74 formed the body54c. I The opening72has a. hamfered mouth 75 and the opening "39 has a similarly'chamfered mouth 82; 1 There is thus provided a slight, clearance 5 between the sides ofthe vspring 11 andthose;

the charnfere'd mouths Whenithe spring l;1 flexes there vis thereforefa slight clearance or play for the spring'where'the spring enters thechamiered mouths 7 5 fand'f82 of theballs V and due to this clearance' 'theflexingmotiom eftlle spring isgraduallyrather than abrupt- "1y transmitted tothe balls 32am; P .perience. teaches a close 'fit betweeni thespring 1 1 and theopenings 39 and 772 tendsto break! or snap the spring 11" where it enters the open? ings 39 and 7 2 in the b'alls 'a-n d byfchamfer ing the months; 7 5 and 829i these openings this danger of breaking thespjr'ing 11 is ina' terially reducedl 'I' 76. slidably arrange'dijin alre'cess forined In'Figure 8, the topwall; 620i tte-tea' gisifr provides'ia mgve, having aninclined urface; i

80' adapted to engage a ridge 81 of the ball when the .ball isgjrotat ed; in one fl d'irection whereby to limitthe T me nfer the ball y 1 9,

the springflexing; 7

The. above asecnpeanj aes. tdthQm-" sp sp s m ar a ferred': form of 'construetionfof one of the sociated witlrthe chassis v1O as best shown in Figure 1, and when" the severaljpartsof the suspension means areassemb1ed in their :10

connection with the spring and chassis. it will be seen thatduri-ng flexing of the spring; the" spring will have "slidable engagement with the t ree and both balls willoscillate more, j ing to movement ofthespring, thus diminish-T 15 mg and checking the rebou nd'faction ofe the which jitis associatedi j sprlng during operation of the vehicle It' W111 beiseen "that the even; we are}? "simple in structure and that the suspensioif gi nie'ans is of such 'afnature as will reatl les senthe possibility of breakage, brought about" V by. shock and rebound{Y.J'"1" "3 3!; v

'While I have illustrated ana described the 7 preferred form of construction for carrying. V

the invention into effect this is capable ofya V iations and modific ation's without departing-: from thespirit of the invention. I, there; I 'fore, do notgwishtoberlimited to; the precise" details o ueti err hsgb tdes res? 770 V reservoir through an opening 70 normally closed by a plug 71.

ing a body providing a housing a rotatable element confined in the housing and having an opening therein for the projection of one end portion of the spring unit, said end portion rotating said element when'the spring unit flexes, said element having a ridge there said second named opening, a member providing a pocket arranged in said second on, and a lug carried by the housing having an inclined surface thereon adapted to be engaged by said ridge to limit rotation of said element.

" V In testimonyr said end portion rotating said elementwhen the spring unit flexes, said element having a ridge formed thereon, and amembercarrled ridge'to limit rotation of said element. 7

EO'RGE J.,FLETCHER.

2. A device for suspendingan end portion of a spring unit of a vehicle including a body providing a housing having one wall provid ed with an opening and having a recess in said one wall communicating with said opening and extending at right angles thereto,

whereof I aflixmysignature.

by the housing adapted tobe engagedby said i 7 said housing having anopening in another wall thereof, said last named wall being extended substantially at right angles to said first named wall, a bearing block providing a pocket arranged in said housing opposite named opening, a ball element mounted in said pockets and having an opening therein, said end portion of said spring unit being extended through said first named opening in said housing and through the opening in said ball element, a plate disposed in said recess having an opening therein through which said spring unit may be extended, said plate serving to prevent passage into said housing toward saidball element,

said body providing an oil'reservoir',gsaidbearing block having an opening therein, I

said housing having a passage therein establishing communication between said last named opening and said oil reservoir, and a w1ck in sa1d passage for conductlng 011 from a said reservoir to said last named opening to lubricate said ball. j

3. A suspension for a spring unit including a body providing a housing, a rotatable element confined in the housing and having an opening therein for the projection of one end portion of a spring unit, said end portion rotating said element when the spring 1 unit flexes, said element having a ridge formed thereon, and a member carried by. the housing adapted to be engaged by said ridge to limit rotation of said element. a

4. A suspension for a spring unit including a body 7 element con ned in the housing and having an opening therein for the projection of'one providing a housing, a rotatable end portion of a spring unit, said element 7 providing at the inner end of the opening i provided by said element a chamfered mouth, p 

